Was wrong info provided for leaked CAG report?

Revealed contents name two senior bureaucrats as owning flats in more than one housing society on state govt land when they say they do not; info attributed to revenue dept

The sensational leak of the Comptroller & Auditor General’s report has not only rattled the political world but has also baffled the state administration in a different manner.

The contents of the report revealed by BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis have put a few top Congress ministers and two NCP ministers at the receiving end of suspicion.

However, the leaks now seem dubious. The contents have revealed the names of two senior bureaucrats who have been shown as beneficiaries of flats in Ashirwad Cooperative Housing Society in Andheri (W).

Retired additional chief secretary Chitkala Zutshi and principal secretary of state finance department Sudhir Srivastava figure in the CAG report as those who have more than one house in Mumbai in a state government-approved society.

But the fact is otherwise. The two of them do not own any flat anywhere else other than Ashirwad society.

Zutshi vehemently denied she owned another flat on state land. “I don’t have any other flat in Mumbai,” she clarified to this newspaper. Sources say even Srivastava has not been a member in any other society, approved by the government.

The question now arises about he veracity of the information provided to the CAG by the state revenue department, as it has been attributed to this department.

Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Swadhin Kshatriya said he was not aware of the information provided by his officials. “I will verify it on Saturday,” he said.

Meanwhile, the blame game is on between the Congress and the NCP over the leak. It has become difficult for the Congress to face its alliance partner, with big names such as Vilasrao Deshmukh, Harshwardhan Patil, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Narayan Rane being dragged in the mud.

Even as two NCP Ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar figure in the list, the fact is that they do not maintain a cordial relationship with NCP’s prominent leaders at the state level.

Congress leaders allege foul play by NCP. The administration is sulking over the information regarding the membership in the Andheri housing society.

The blame game is on between the Congress and the NCP over the leak. It has become difficult for the Congress to face its alliance partner, with big names such as Vilasrao Deshmukh, Harshwardhan Patil, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Narayan Rane being dragged in the mud